Mailer type business forms must serve a wide variety of customer requirements. Depending upon particular needs, mailer type business forms must be specifically tailored to provide an acceptable product. Several features that are almost universally desirable, however, are the ability to print on a large amount of the mailer, yet still have a reply envelope, the ability to have a reply envelope that accepts a conventional size (i.e. six inch length) personal check without folding, and having a reply envelope flap that will fold to the back of the reply envelope, and to have a remittance coupon or stub portion which includes worthwhile information and that may easily be detached and inserted in the reply envelope for return along with the check. It is also desirable to be able to provide these features without a window or patch, and to allow imprintation of modern postal address bar coding on a ply of the outgoing envelope without that bar coding interfering with use of the same ply as part of the reply envelope.
According to the present invention, an intermediate for a mailer type business form, and the mailer itself, are provided which achieve the objectives set forth above. The intermediate comprises a single quadrate sheet of paper which may be easily run through a printer to print indicia on either one or both faces, with the same face having the outgoing address and reply address printed thereon so that they may be readily variably printed. The intermediate may be easily Z-folded to form the final mailer, and sealed by conventional techniques. The mailer is easy to open and the reply envelope is easy to utilize.
According to one aspect of the present invention an intermediate for a mailer type business form comprises the following components: A substantially opaque quadrate sheet of paper having parallel top and bottom edges, parallel first and second side edges perpendicular to the top and bottom edges, and first and second faces. First and second fold lines parallel to the top and bottom edges, and defining the sheet into substantially equal-size first, second, and third panels, the first panel between the top edge and first fold line, and the second panel between the first and third panels. A first line of demarcation disposed parallel to the first side edge extending the majority of the dimension of at least the first and second panels parallel to the side edges, the first line of demarcation closer to the first side edge than the second side edge, and defining a flap in each of the first and second panels between the first line of demarcation and the first side edge. Means defining an outgoing address area on the first face of the first panel, the first line of demarcation passing through the outgoing address area. Means defining a reply address area on the first face of the second panel, the reply address area spaced from, and not intersected by, the first line of demarcation in the second panel, the reply address area between the first line of demarcation and the second side edge. First permanent adhesive patterns provided on at least one of the first and second panel second faces for defining the first and second panels into a reply envelope having permanent adhesive on first through third sides thereof when the first and second panels are Z-folded about the first fold line so that the second faces thereof are in face-to-face engagement. A reply envelope closing flap formed by the second panel flap, and having activatable adhesive on the second face thereof for sealing a reply envelope on a fourth side thereof. First and second lines of weakness formed in the first and second panels, respectively, parallel to the top and bottom edges and straddling the first fold line, the first line of weakness spaced from the first fold line a distance large enough to contain postal address bar coding between the first line of weakness and the first fold line on the first face, but the first line of weakness not interfering with the outgoing address area. Third and fourth lines of weakness formed in the first through third panels parallel to and spaced from each of the first and second side edges. The first through fourth lines of weakness defining tear-off strips providing for ready opening of a mailer constructed by Z-folding the sheet about the fold lines. And, second permanent adhesive patterns provided in at least some of the tear-off strips for holding the first through third panels together in an outgoing mailer when the sheet is Z-folded about the fold lines.
In the intermediate as described above the first line of demarcation may be a line of weakness, at least in the first panel. Also preferably a fifth line of weakness is formed in the third panel parallel to the bottom edge and spaced from the bottom edge the same distance the first line of weakness is spaced from the first fold line, and the second fold line is preferably a line of weakness. The second permanent adhesive patterns typically include strips of adhesive disposed on the third panel first face between the third, fourth, and fifth lines of weakness and the first side edge, second side edge, and bottom edge, respectively; and typically further include strips of adhesive disposed on the first panel second face between the third and fourth lines of weakness and the first side edge and second side edge, respectively.
The longest dimension of the interior of the reply envelope formed from the intermediate is at least about six inches so that the reply envelope can receive an unfolded bank check therein. The first line of demarcation typically also extends into the third panel, and is discontinuous between the first and second lines of weakness.
The reply envelope closing flap dimension from the first line of demarcation to the third line of weakness is larger than the dimension of the outgoing address area from the first line of demarcation toward the second side edge, so that when the reply envelope closing flap is folded about the first line of demarcation said second flap sealingly engages the first face of the first panel and the closing flap completely covers any remaining portion of the outgoing address area. The portion of the first panel between the first line of demarcation and the third line of weakness typically comprises remittance stub indicia imaged on the second face thereof. Also postal bar coding is at some stage imaged on the first face of the first panel between the first line of weakness and the first fold line aligned with the outgoing address, while human readable address indicia is imaged on the outgoing address area. Security screening is typically provided on the second face of the first and second panels to provide confidentiality to the reply envelope.
According to the another aspect of the present invention a mailer type business form is provided comprising the following components: First, second, and third substantially equal size substantially opaque quadrate plies, the second ply sandwiched between the first and third plies, and each ply having a top face and a bottom face, first and second side edges, and first and second end edges. A first line of demarcation disposed parallel to the first side edge extending the majority of the dimension of at least the first and second plies parallel to the side edges, the first line of demarcation closer to the first side edge than the second side edge, and defining a flap in each of the first and second plies between the first line of demarcation and the first side edge. Outgoing address indicia imaged on the top face of the first ply, the first line of demarcation passing through the outgoing address indicia. Reply address indicia imaged on the bottom face of the second ply, the reply address indicia spaced from, and not intersected by, the first line of demarcation in the second ply and between the second side edge and the first line of demarcation. First permanent adhesive patterns provided on at least one of the first ply bottom face and second ply top face for defining the first and second plies into a reply envelope having permanent adhesive on first through third sides thereof. A reply envelope closing flap formed by the second ply flap, and having activatable adhesive on the top face thereof for sealing the reply envelope on a fourth side thereof. First and second aligned lines of weakness formed in the first and second and plies parallel to the end edges adjacent the second end edge of each, the first line of weakness spaced from the second end edge a distance large enough to contain postal address bar coding between the first line of weakness and the second end edge. Postal address bar coding provided on the top face of the first ply between the first line of weakness and the second end edge beneath the outgoing address indicia. Third and fourth lines of weakness formed in the first through third plies parallel to and spaced from each of the first and second side edges. The first through fourth lines of weakness defining tear-off strips providing for ready opening of the mailer; and second permanent adhesive patterns provided in at least some of the tear-off strips for holding the first through third plies together in the outgoing mailer.
The reply envelope closing flap dimension from the first line of demarcation to the third line of weakness is larger than the dimension of the outgoing address from the first line of demarcation toward the second side edge, so that when the reply envelope closing flap is folded about the first line of demarcation the second flap sealingly engages the top face of the first flap, the closing flap completely covering any remaining portion of the outgoing address indicia. A portion of the first ply between the first line of demarcation and the third line of weakness also typically comprises remittance stub indicia imaged on the bottom face thereof. The mailer has other features which are provided as a result of the Z-folding of the single sheet of paper of the intermediate to form the first, second and third plies, including an integral piece of paper between the first and second plies at the second end edge, and between the second and third plies at the first end edge.
According to still another aspect of the present invention a mailer type business form is provided by the Z-folding of a single sheet of substantially opaque paper having a length of at least about twelve inches, and comprising the following components: First, second, and third substantially equal size quadrate plies, the second ply sandwiched between the first and third plies, and each ply having a top face and a bottom face, first and second side edges, and first and second end edges. Outgoing address indicia imaged on the top face of the first ply. First permanent adhesive patterns provided on at least one of the first ply bottom face and second second ply top face for defining the first and second plies into a reply envelope having permanent adhesive on first through third sides thereof. First and second aligned lines of weakness formed in the first and second and plies parallel to the end edges adjacent the second end edge of each, the first line of weakness spaced from the second end edge a distance of approximately one-half inch. Postal address bar coding provided on the top face of the first ply between the first line of weakness and the second end edge beneath the outgoing address indicia. Third and fourth lines of weakness formed in the first through third plies parallel to and spaced from each of the first and second side edges. Second permanent adhesive patterns provided in at least some of the tear-off strips for holding the first through third plies together in the outgoing mailer. The first through fourth lines of weakness defining tear-off strips providing for ready opening of the mailer. And, the first and second plies being connected at the second end edge thereof by an integral paper connection, and the second and third plies connected together at the first end edge thereof by an integral paper connection.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an intermediate for a mailer, and a mailer, with a great deal of printable area or indicia, as well as a reply envelope, that is readily constructed and utilized, without the necessity for a window or patch. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.